Walney to Whitby
Ulverston, England, United Kingdom
Aim
On 12/09/20 I am cycling 150 miles across the country from Walney to Whitby, to raise cash and awareness for mental health
Walney to Whitby- We did it !!!!
On 12th September 2020 I am cycling 150 miles across the country from Walney, Cumbria to Whitby, North Yorkshire to raise awareness for mental health and raise money for Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS), Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and to pay for an ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) course in my hometown.
As many of you will know, I have been deeply affected by Suicide in the last 2 years following the death of my wife Liz, and then my Uncle Danny. My life since Liz died has been an enormous struggle for our 3 children and me. Life has been a blur, trying to hold my family and my business together.
In January of this year things came to a head. I was struggling to deal with my grief and not looking after my mental and physical health and I realised that life could not continue like this; it was unsustainable.
I started to make some changes, beginning by joining SBS a local charity helping those affected by the suicide of family or friends. I did not realise how much this would help me, meeting others going through the same feelings, stresses and emotions. Since then I have completed the ASIST suicide prevention training, which has not only given me a much better understanding of suicide, but has given me skills I have already put to use to help others when they’ve needed it.
I started cycling three months ago and soon after I made the decision to do this ride to raise money for these organisations that have helped me and my family so much. Liz and I visited Whitby together many times and it’s a really special place for me and the kids. I’m so chuffed that I’ve got 7 great friends who are supporting me with this and are taking the ride with me. I’m so grateful for their support.
Angus Dobson
Harry Dalziel
Jack McDonagh
Jon Tinning
Will Cooper
Felix Bizz Cooper
Henry Cowell
I’m asking people to offer a donation no matter how small as now more than ever people are having to deal with the devastation that is suicide.
For more info on the 3 organisations we will be supporting see below:
Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) is a charity that offers support and understanding for people who have been touched by suicide and offers that introduction, where people can talk about their experiences in a safe and understanding environment. Without the support I have received I would have felt extremely isolated and confused and for this reason I would like to fund their charity so others going through this can benefit from it.
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a leading movement against suicide. Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives. CALM exists to change this.
Mental Health Learning is a North West based organisation who bring knowledge and build skills within our local communities. I want to support this organisation to put on another ASIST suicide prevention course like the one I’ve done. I’m looking to get a minimum of 12 people to sign up and do this training. The more of us who do this the more lives we can potentially save.
There are currently over two million individuals worldwide, trained to use the evidence based life-saving approach ASIST teaches. ASIST is a two day workshop that was created nearly 40 years ago. It teaches participants what to look out for in those around them that could be a sign of concern, and builds the confidence needed to ask about suicide and effectively support someone with thoughts. It is often referred to as ‘suicide first-aid’ and can be the difference between life and suicide for those it is used with. Teaching a six step model, participants come away with a clear person centred process to follow, and feel ready, willing and able to prevent suicide.
I attended the workshop and within 12 days, put the skills to use. Without the training, I would have felt out of my depth, overwhelmed, and unsure, but thanks to the training I felt confident to handle the situation and was equipped to support the person. I was unsure about what to expect when attending the workshop, but Alice and Debbie put me at ease and delivered the workshop in a sensitive, supportive and professional way.
This project successfully funded on 9th October 2020